A/N: Good day, readers. As you know, I love Disney and TMM, or more specifically, I love movies and TMM. Every time I watch a movie, I just instantly imagine the TMM characters doing something like this and I like the ideas I come up with. I hope you do, too.
My casting is simple:
Deep Blue – Judge Claude Frollo
Ichigo – Quasimodo
Kisshu and Masaya – Esmeralda
Mint – Captain Phoebus
Pudding, Lettuce, and Zakuro – the three Gargoyles
Taruto and Pai – Clopin, the Gypsy leader
Ryou and Keiichiro – the Archdeacon
Just a note, I'm a Ichigo/Kisshu fan.
I do not own TMM or its characters or the movie. I hope you all like this and don't hate me for it. Please enjoy.
The Cat Demon of Notre Dame
Ch. 1: The Tale of Man and Demon
In the city of Paris, there is a church. A giant and grand church loved and respected by everyone in the city. If possible, the church itself may very well be the very heart and the all inspiring icon of Paris. Without it, the people would feel lost in the deep despair of the world's mysteries and darkness. They see to the church as a guide and as a holy sanctuary.
What many known but believe for it to be only a story, there is someone living in the church. Someone who no one sees but always hears.
Up there, high. High in the dark bell tower, lives the mysterious bell ringer. Every day on time, the bells of the church ring to awake the people of its peaceful slumber, to alert them of the time of day, and to wish them all goodnight. But no one knows who it is that performs such tedious and selfless task. No one knows where this person came from or how this person came to be there.
Unexpected character: "Well I'll tell you, na no da! Hi, everybody! I'm Pudding! And this is my best friend, Taru-Taru!"
Unexpected character 2: "Pudding! Can you stop calling me that in front of people? It's Taruto!"
Narrator: "You two?! Pardon me, everyone…Where did you come from? You're not supposed to be here till later!"
Pudding: "But you introduced the story so boooooorrrrring, na no da! Pudding wants to tell the story of the bell ringer, na no da!"
Taruto: "I tried to stop her, honestly. But she does know the story best."
Narrator: "Absolutely not! I am the narrator so I know the story best, and this is a task that must be done properly."
Pudding: "Oh please, please, please, na no da! I'll never ask for anything ever again, na no da! Please! I'll even use my serious voice to give it the suspenseful and bone chilling effect, na no da!"
Narrator: "This is a prologue, Pudding. Not a horror film. And since when did you have a suspenseful and bone chilling serious voice?"
Taruto: "You'd be surprise. And the prologue is suppose to be dramatic, right? About how the bell ringer is actually a-"
Narrator: "Don't say anything, you fool! –sigh- Fine! If you want to tell the audience the story so much, Pudding, then go right ahead. But ONLY if you make it serious enough to leave a good impression. I don't want you to turn this into some gold-lucky fairy tale."
Pudding: "Pudding understands, na no da! Pudding understands, na no da!"
Taruto thinks: 'That didn't take any effort at all.'
Pudding: "Now then… –serious voice– Listen closely, everyone. For I am about to tell you the tale of the bell ringer. The tale of a man and a demon.
Our tale begins on a cold and dark winter night. When most of the citizens of Paris have all gone to sleep and rest in their warm beds. All except for those who were close to the destruction of a cyniclon hideout.
What is a cyniclon you may wonder? It is said that since Earth was created, cyniclons used to live on Earth before humans even existed. Some stories say that cyniclons used to live during the prehistoric times. But when Earth was changing and many of the dinosaurs were dying, the cyniclons had the technology needed to leave the planet as their kind was on the verge of extinction. Billions of years later, Earth became a livable place again with humans crawling on every inch of it. Only 500 years before today have the cyniclons returned. They missed their home planet and the planet they choose to live on was worst than earth. By a spring of miracle, they found a chance to escape and came back to earth – only to meet this new breed called humans and their first meeting wasn't exactly peace at first sight. They were discriminated for their large ears, their culture, and their strange powers. In time, humans have learned to live with them but due to these differences in beliefs and religions, the cyniclons are considered ruffians, thieves, and 'dangerous' beings compared to humans. Some have accepted them and even joined them while many still reject them and their culture.
The cyniclons only mean to survive on this planet so they do whatever means necessary to do that while still trying to prove to the world that they are good humble creatures. But it is the hatred towards them, and to the people who would dare mingle with them, that truly starts this tale.
Fire lit up the cold, dark night sky. Those who live close by, awoken to the heat of the flames and the screams of many people – cyniclons and humans alike. But no one would dare help them. Not when they can see Paris's guards being the ones to attack this hideout. Many were arrested but for those who resist, well only a few of those ended up killed. Tents and carriages were burned to the grounds and no one was able to escape these soldiers.
Well all except for a few.
Under the docks near the city's holy church and far from the fire, three men – two of them humans and one cyniclon – a fourth member being a human woman, and in her arms is a baby wrapped in rags to keep it warm. One of the humans was the ferry man that steered the boat under the docks, the cyniclon was a friend to the second human, and the second human, who shares the same type of clothing to the cyniclon and the woman, has his arms securely around the his wife and their weeping child.
"Quiet the child, Sakura," the black hair and brown eyed man told his wife.
The cyniclon whispered/yelled, "We'll be spotted."
Looking down at her dear child, Sakura told the bundle in her arms, "Hush, hush, little one. It's alright. Everything will be alright." Cooed by her words, the baby silenced itself and drifted into a pleasant slumber in its mother's arms.
Arriving at the docks, the couple and their friend got off the boat with nothing else but the clothes on their back and the boat man told them, "Four guilders for safe passage." Though as he opened his hand to them, ready to receive his money for risking his life into moving around so late at night, an arrow comes shooting out and stabbing his opened hand. He screamed in his agony and pain as the others gasp and turn their attention to where the arrow came from. To their horror and surprise, they see Paris guards with bows and arrows aiming at them if they should decide to run. It wasn't till longer afterwards that more guards appeared out of the darkness like demon pouncing on their prey, and they surrounded the cyniclon and his friends – leaving them nowhere to escape.
They have been caught.
Then like the devil itself with a black and mighty horse to carry him in, a man with long, thin, shadow black hair, skin as pale as the snow the hooves of his horse walks on, a face stern and strong, normal round human ears, and bright light blue eyes piercing through the darkness of the night and striking absolute fear in any person who dares to look at him. His boney fingers grip onto the rein of his horse and his back straight with proud and content of his capture. He entered the docks beside his men and looking down at the cyniclon and the 'human traitors' that dare to try and escape his wrath without his knowing, he sees the fear and the helpless look of his victims.
One of them just barely spoke his name when he casted their eyes on this unnatural and powerful man. "Judge Deep Blue!"
Judge Deep Blue, the most powerful man in all of Paris. A man who claims to be a man of law and in just 4 years, has complete control over the armies and the police force of Paris. Whomever he claims evil and have stranded away from the light of God, the guards will dispose of them. Whomever he wishes to arrest, they will arrest under the bylaws of the city and God. He is a man who wishes to spurge it of vice and sin and he saw corruption everywhere, except within. The things that he hates most in this world are cyniclons and gypsies – humans who have betrayed man to be with these aliens.
"Bring these vermin to the palace of justice."
Sakura's heart beats faster in her bosom with fear as she leans closer to her beloved in hopes of comfort and protection – a feeling she would always felt when she was with him. But as he was holding her tight to his chest, a hand reaches out and wrenches him away from her. She reaches for him but another guard beside her grabs her wrist to pull her back. She could only watch as the ferry man, her husband, and their friend become handcuffed and pulled away.
"You there! What are you hiding?!" the guard asks unkindly to Sakura's ear. She tries to pull away and hold her baby close to her body to shield him away from these men.
"Stolen goods, no doubt," she heard Deep Blue assumed. She looked at him at with the twitch of his claw he orders, "Take them from her."
She ran.
With alarm and the all-powerful desire to protect her baby, Sakura yanks her hand away from the guard that held her and started running as fast and as hard as she can against the slippery snow.
"Run, Sakura!" she heard her husband screamed for her. It tore her heart in two to leave the man she loved behind but to protect her baby, she must. For she knew that if anyone saw her child, they would kill it.
Seeing her speed and how quickly she was able to cover large grounds on these snowy roads, Deep Blue turns his horse towards her direction and started it in a run. The guards are left behind with the prisoners and they all just watch as the judge runs off by himself after the running gypsy woman.
Sakura turned at every corner she could. Any place that looked like the surrounding buildings and items on the streets could prevent Deep Blue from reaching her. But no matter where she turned to, he was able to follow her on his monstrous horse. She ran with all of her might. Her legs aching for her to stop. Her lungs burning for air. But she must not. Yet with every second she spends running, the closer and closer she can hear Deep Blue coming for her. With every click-clack she heard of the horse running to her, her heart would beat in panic and her legs would push harder. Bu no matter how hard she tried, he just keeps getting closer and closer.
Then at long last, she was able to see a blessing.
Turning at one corner, she sees a dead end but at the end of that dead end there is a space between two buildings wide enough to let her through and a rail she must climb over in order to get away. However, the space between the two buildings are too narrow for Deep Blue's horse to get through, even if he's able to jump over the railing. Sakura, using every ounce of her strength, rushes to the rail and jumps over it only to land on a pile of sacks of sand stacked up at the bottom. Her landing was safe and as soon as she hit the floor, she continues on running – not stopping until she was absolutely certain she can find a safe place for her and her baby. Deep Blue's horse arrived at the rail but as expected, it can't pass and an angry frown appears on the judge's face.
Running out into more open ground, Sakura can see Paris's sacred church. That is her safe haven. She runs up the stairs and immediately pounds on the doors of the church as soon as she was in reach. "Sanctuary! Please give us sanctuary!" she cries, her lungs pushing the last bit of air out of her.
Click, clack, click, clack
Then her heart began to drop at the sound of those hooves. Daring a look, she sees the shadow of Deep Blue and his horse riding towards her. Seeing him come out of the ally way, it truly was like seeing the devil coming out to hunt her soul and drag it down to the dark, fiery clutches of hell. Instantly, she turned around to continue running. But unlike how she was able to get away before, she could not this time. Deep Blue's horse gained too much speed and they are in a wide and open area. There are no places for his horse to waste time trying to avoid or places for her to hide. Deep Blue caught up to her and stopping his horse became the very moment he reached out and grabbed the bundle of clothes in her arm. Sakura held on as tightly as she could onto her baby but a kick hits her away, releasing the child. Then as she was pushed back, the floor beneath her caused her to slip and down on the ground that waited for her was the steps. Her head hit the very edge and like an egg, cracked it open. She laid there dying, her vision blurring into darkness as her ears hear the cry of her baby one last time before she died.
Hearing the wailing of the baby brought confusion to the judge. "A baby?" Raising the bundle closer, he removed some of the rags off of the crying child to see if he was not going crazy on this freezing winter night. But as soon as he saw the face of this child the gypsy so desperately tried to protect, his light blue eyes instantly widen in shock and he gasped in shock and disgust of what he sees before him. "A demon!"
Quickly, he hid the face of the baby and franticly looked around for some sort of sign as to what to do with it. Then as if his God were answering his wishes, he sees a sign. He sees a water well not too far away from where he is. Seeing the well, he understood what he must do. He must destroy the child he now holds in his hand. Controlling his horse to move, he approaches the well. Looking down at its watery pit, he raises the baby over it and right when he was going to release it, he hears…
"STOP!" cried Father Shirogane.
Stopping his actions, the devil-looking man turns to see the Father of his beloved church standing there at the top of the stairs from the building. At the open doors, there are two young church boys, one who still looks like a child and the other a preteen. The preteen has long brunette hair tied in a low pony tail and chestnut eyes and the little boy clinging onto his pants has short golden hair and sky blue eyes. These two should not be up at this time, especially not the child, but that is a little concern at the moment. Instead of feeling honored with his holly presence, Deep Blue claims to Father, "This is an unholy demon. I am sending it back to hell where it belongs."
As he said that, Father Shirogane had already kneeled before Sakura's body and held her with care in his arms. "Do you not see what you've done, Deep Blue?" he asked, his face stern but his eyes full of pity and sorrow towards the dead woman he holds. "You have spilled blood tonight in front of our holy church."
"You are delusional, old man. I am guiltless. She ran and I pursued."
But Father Shirogane was no convinced. "But now you wish to add that child's blood on your already filthy hands?"
"My conscious is clear!"
"Say what you want, Deep Blue. You can tell the guards and yourself what you want. But there is one thing you cannot escape from and that are the eyes of our church! The very eyes that have seen what sin you have committed tonight."
Deep Blue was confused by what this human means by the 'eyes of the church'. He turns around to see what the Father meant and when he looked, it shocks him more greatly than when he saw the baby still in his arms. The statues that decorated the church, the saints, angels, and the caring mother of god that would smile on any man before her; now stares down with accusing eyes and no smile on her face. Every pair of eyes of the statue stares down on Deep Blue and for once in his life of power and control, he felt a twinge of fear for his immortal soul.
Sitting on his horse, shivering from the fear that began to grow in his gut the longer he stared at those statures, he asked Father Shirogane, if not begging him to know, "What must I do?"
By then, Father Shirogane had lifted Sakura's body in his arms and he was carrying her into the church where he should have opened the door only moments before this great tragedy came upon his steps. He turns to the frightened man and he replied, "Care to the child and raise it as your own."
"What?!" Deep Blue asked. "I am to be saddled with this misshapen-" But before he could finish that sentence, he looked down at the child in his arms and he thought better of it. This is God's will and if it must be done, it must. But that doesn't mean everything. "Very well. But let her live here with you in your church."
"Here? Where?"
"Anywhere." Looking up at the magnificent building before him once again, he describes, "Just so she's locked away where no one else would see. The bell tower, perhaps. And who knows. Our Lord works in mysterious ways. Even this foul creature may yet prove to be of use to me."
Father Shirogane didn't look pleased when he heard that, nor did he look disappointed. Only analyzing Deep Blue and trying to figure out what it is he's thinking. The two church boys try to do the same and even though the younger one is trying to be brave, his grip on the other boy's pants is tight and secure. Even he would agree that this man is terrifying to look at and now that child must be raised by him? God save her.
"What will you name her?" Father Shirogane asks.
Looking down at the child once again, Deep Blue doesn't answer right away. He stares at the silent baby and notices a bit of red hair peaking out from the cover of the rags. Red hair, just like her mother but Deep Blue didn't think of that when he sees that. He thinks of someone else.
A different woman with darker features and a brilliant beautiful smile.
His cold light blue eyes narrow down at the baby but instead of disgust, there is sorrow in them. It is very faint but it is there and it startles the Father when he saw it.
The woman had favorite fruit, didn't she? It was red. Oh yes. It was strawberries.
"Ichigo. Her name will be Ichigo."
XxX
Now here is a riddle to guess if you can sing the bells of Notre Dame: Who is the demon and who is the man?
